Sweet Little Bumblebee
by Anya Maygo
Summary: A quiet stallion, unsure how to display his love... I want to add another chapter to this so it's not ending so abruptly, but I don't know how I could continue this! Readers, help me out!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Bumblebee trotted around Ponyville with his wagon, checking on his beehives. Normally, the words "funny" and "stallion" didn't appear in the same sentence, but that was the only way to describe him with his fluffy yellow coat, messy black mane and tail, white veiled beekeeper's hat, and wide hooves that seemed to always be in each other's way when he was in a hurry.

His big blue eyes, however, betrayed a kind, caring soul.

"So, ladies," he asked softly of the hive he was next to, "how is the pony supply of honey coming?"

About ten bees flew out of the hive, lining up one at a time in front of him. He watched as their number stacked up. The tenth bee stayed back, and the line stopped at nine.

"Okay, I'll come back tomorrow." And he trotted off again, speculating over how he'd gotten his three-bee cutie mark.

* * *

_He was wandering through the forest, just looking around. He was a gangly little thing then. Suddenly, a shockwave rushed past him and a beehive crashed to the ground in front of him!_

_He stopped still as the bees swarmed out in a panic and turned as one to face him. Then he said quietly, "It looks like you need a new home. I could make one for you, if you want. You could even swarm on me until it's done."_

_They stared at him for thirty seconds that felt like two minutes. Then they slowly buzzed over and settled all over his back, sides, flanks, mane, tail and neck._

_Bumble almost didn't dare move. But if he was going to get that hive built for them, he had to move. Slowly…slowly…_

_That was the longest two days in his life. He walked back to his home, with absolutely perfect control over his every move, and then put together a Bee Family beehive in slow motion. Finally, it was done._

"_There you go, ladies and gents: home sweet home."_

_Every worker and drone swarmed off his body and into the hive. The queen stayed a moment longer, buzzing up and over around his flanks until he noticed that his cutie mark had formed. Then she touched her head to his nose and flew into the hive herself._

* * *

He didn't technically need the hat for protection from bees, but every member of the Bee Family wore one. He could move in perfect control of his body, even more perfectly than when he was a colt if that was even possible, and he only tripped over his big hooves when –

Applejack came around the corner.

He jumped, tried to turn without breaking the cart, and ran until he cleared the nearest building, putting it between them.

It wasn't that he was scared of her. In fact, he loved her! But he was so shy that just thinking about talking to her about it set his heart pounding as hard as if he'd been running and so loudly that he was _sure_ she could hear it.

Bumble sighed, got out of the harness, and walked around to pull his hat out of the cart. He'd gotten practiced at that, at least: if he broke and ran while wearing the cart, his hat would blow off and land _in_ the cart, so he wouldn't lose it.

That veiled hat was probably his only real protection – not from bees – but from having to face his feelings about Applejack.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Bumble wasn't entirely sure what to make of the new pony in town – Streak, he was pretty sure was her name – but he was glad she'd been able to help the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

_Now if only she can help me, too…_

"Um…Bumble?"

He turned and looked. Apple Bloom was standing there, looking a little hesitant, her new cutie mark nearly glowing in the sun. "Um…if you want, I could help you make something for Applejack."

He stared at her. "Would you? I mean, I'm not sure what I could possibly make for her…all I can make are beehives and carts…"

She smiled, almost knowingly. "Don't worry, we can make her a cart and it'll be something that'll attract customers as well as being useful!"

* * *

The rest of that afternoon was spent building a cart. Sturdy, light, and large enough to move five bushels of apples, it was hung about with bright green and red banners. The cart itself was painted blue, with red wheels.

Bumblebee hitched himself up to it. "Okay…wish me luck, Apple Bloom!"

She waved as he walked off, rehearsing what he wanted to say to Applejack.

"Okay…I'm going to walk up to her and say…I'll say, 'Applejack, this is for you.' And she'll say, 'Oh, Bumble, you shouldn't have.' And I'll say, 'Yes I did, because I…because I love – '"

"Hi, nice cart, Bumblebee!"

Bumble jumped a mile inside his fur – only his wish not to hurt the cart kept his hooves close to the ground – and twisted his head around to stare at Pinkie Pie, who'd slipped up and hopped into the cart itself and was getting a free ride without his feeling the added weight.

"You know, if you keep talking to yourself, everypony will think you're crazy! And by the way, Applejack is over visiting at Twilight Sparkle's, so you're going the wrong way anyway."

"Oh…" He slowed to a stop. _This is a bad idea. What am I thinking? I'm no good at talking about my feelings to anything but bees!_

Pinkie Pie jumped out and, finally, really _looked_ at his face through the veil. "Are you scared or something?"

"Not…not scared, exactly…more like…"

She cocked her head expectantly.

"…Shy, I guess. Unsure, hesitant, all those related words, but not scared."

"Oh, that's not a problem!" She hopped up and did a small dance on her hind legs. "I'll go get Fluttershy, she knows _all_ about being shy – she can help you figure out how to give that cart to Applejack!"

"Oh, you don't have to do that…" Bumblebee was speaking to a dust cloud. He sighed. "Give Pinkie an idea and she doesn't stop to think."

* * *

Well, Pinkie did find Fluttershy. And she and Bumblebee talked over how best for him to give the cart – and his feelings – to Applejack.

* * *

**A/N: Two things. One, that first section is a reference to another MLP fic I'm going to write, and there'll be a better explanation on how the Cutie Mark Crusaders got their marks (and what Apple Bloom's thinking about there). Two...I know this chapter's short. I haven't quite figured out how Bumble tells AJ. Yet.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Finally, Bumblebee was able to gather up his nerve at a party that Streak was holding with her brother, who'd come to town.

"Um…Applejack?"

She turned around. "What is it, Bumble?"

"I, um…I have something for you."

She cocked her head, but followed him outside.

There it sat, glistening in its entire splendor: the apple cart that he and Apple Bloom had made.

"Well, I'll be! Bumble, you made this for me?"

"Uh…Apple Bloom helped, but…yeah." He bobbed his head in embarrassment.

"Aw, shoot, you didn't have to go to all this trouble!"

"I wanted to…because…" Bumblebee flipped his hat off, abandoning his only defense. "Because I…I love you, Applejack."

Applejack stared at him for a second. Then she smiled. "Well, shoot," she repeated. "You're sweet, Bumblebee."


End file.
